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March 18, 2015

Top Examples--Fear due to Insufficient Information

Nature abhors
a vacuum, as my wise husband said. If
there is an “empty space” somewhere, it will naturally fill up—whether it’s in
our intellect, or in the natural world. It’s a law of physics.In this manner, our minds are likely to get
supplied with negativity.That’s why
facts are crucial to ward off anxiety.

A School “Incident”

The two
elementary schools in my tiny school district were put on lockdown today. At
least five patrol cars and one unmarked sedan poured into my neighborhood
flashing lights. For at least two hours, numerous helicopters hovered above the
buildings. Dismissal time was delayed about an hour and 15 minutes. The house
of the “perpetrator” was invaded and searched thoroughly by multiple officers.
This dangerous man was then carted away to the police station. The only
information given out by the police spokesperson was that a man had a gun on
school property.

Who was this
terrifying gunman? Was he a hardened criminal just wandering through the
neighborhood? Could he be a gang member? No! I learned his identity through my
daughter. He’s a typical student
at the local high school who wanted to shoot squirrels on the property with his
BB gun. (I’ll call him George.) I have known his family for years. He’s been to
my house several times. George is a slightly reserved, yet friendly young man.
Academics don’t interest him much; but, he is not a troublemaker at school.

The public
had limited information about the event. Naturally, everyone believed the brief
press release which promoted the idea that a crazed gunman was wandering on
school property. Parents and students alike were terrified mainly because of
the lack of details. They had to fill in the blanks themselves. There were
multiple messages on Facebook promoting rumors and fears.

In this way,
one unassuming student with a BB gun became two adults carrying rifles. I don’t
know; maybe they were AK 47’s. Why not? My husband and daughter had fun exaggerating
the incident. They suggested our family friend had tried to lob grenades, or
plant plastic explosives, on school land.

Jason

He is a
young man I met on Google+. Apparently, he isn’t concerned about having the facts
about any person or organization before he forms an opinion. He believes
everything he reads and hears regarding history and current events. I told him
that the victors write history and the most powerful groups put their own spin
on today’s happenings. He won’t listen. For example, he chooses to believe that
religion is of questionable value because mankind has always perpetrated
cruelty in the name of their faith. He doesn’t care enough to research the good
works that people of strong beliefs are doing in the world. He wants to believe
his own poorly-researched ideas.

My Conclusion

Some of us don’t care enough to
discover the full truth about something before we form a judgment. This can lead to confused
viewpoints and dread. We should look to the primary source when creating beliefs.
The family and friends of the “gunman”, and the true followers of a certain
religion, may be our most prudent
source of facts. History and the media often distort the truth.